Fate one half: Aftermath
by Kilich
Summary: This is a sequel to Fate one half and it describes what happened after the Holy Grail War. This is a first variant and might be revised in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Fate ½ : Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own neither Ranma ½ nor Fate\stay night, Kara no Kyoukai or other stories that might appear here. They belong solely to their creators.I'm just doing this for a bit of fun and no profit is being made.

-

Shiro opened his eyes and looking around he saw Saber who sat near the wall and looked at him.

"You are awake, Shiro." she said and a trace of a smile appeared on her lips, but her eyes remained expressionless as she continued.

"Your reckless act almost cost you your life and could make your sacrifice useless and foolish."

"S-Saber… I'm sorry." The boy winced as he listened to Saber. "But you already sacrificed your dream when you decided to destroy Grail. I couldn't stay aside and watch as you sacrifice another."

Saber's eyes softened and she said.

"Yes, this is why I like you, Shiro. Now, get up, you must provide your body with enough nutrients to recover from strain."

-

"Ah, Sempai, you are awake!" exclaimed Sakura when the boy entered the living room.

Almost as soon as the boy took his place, Taiga hit him on the head with a rolled banner she picked up from the floor. Unexpectedly, a sound of metal hitting the bone resounded through the room.

"Ouch! Fiji-nee, that hurt!" hissed Shiro and snatched the weapon from Taiga's hands. When he unrolled it, he found a metal bar inside.

"Oh, I'm sorry Shiro! I forgot about it. I prepared banners for Archery tournament we'll have in two weeks and brought them to show them to you, but when I heard that you got ill again, I couldn't help myself."

"It's all right, I heal fast." answered the boy as he rubbed his head.

Suddenly Ilya leaned to Shiro and whispered.

"One word onii-chan and she will bother you no more." but Ilya underestimated Taiga's hearing and Shiro's caretaker as Taiga liked to call herself, immediately responded.

"Why you! I allow you to live here only from the goodness of heart!"

"You are a bother!"

"Imp!"

"Tiger!"

-

Shiro shook his head looked at the arguing pair, thinking how childish Fuji-nee could be sometimes, when he noticed something very unusual.

"Where's Rider? I never thought she would miss breakfast." he asked when he saw that Rider's dish was untouched and purple haired woman herself wasn't at the table.

"She's helping me to pack. I'm leaving home, Sempai." said Sakura with a hidden sadness in her voice as she remembered how happy she was when Shiro agreed that she could live with him.

"What?! But I thought you were such a good couple?" asked Taiga, interrupting her talk with Ilya.

Sakura slightly blushed before she answered.

"I, I will visit you often but I can't impose on you any longer. And I think Saber is…"

Sakura's last sentence was interrupted when Rider dashed into the living room with a small suitcase in her hand. "Oh, food is not cold yet, is it?"

"Will you leave with Sakura, Rider?" asked Saber as Rider sat and started to empty out her dish.

"What? Oh…" Sakura's Servant stopped chewing and scratched the base of her ponytail, slightly blushing.

"Yeah, I think I will. That Shi… erm, I mean the walls are not repaired yet, so she'll need my protection."

"If you are leaving then I'll give you a present." said Ilya and handed Sakura a small card with a phone number and name on it.

"She'll help you with your curse, Rider."

-

Rider, still asleep, felt somebody stretch upper hem of her dress and suddenly kiss her nipple, an action that provoked an immediate response.

"What did you do that for?" asked Ranma, her voice higher than usual, from the ceiling she clung to.

Sakura moved Rider's purple ponytail that easily reached the bed and snickering, answered.

"I'm sorry big sister, but today is an important day and I couldn't bring myself to use a bucket of cold water like you suggested."

'Su-u-re you couldn't.' thought the older girl with a note of sarcasm when she jumped down.

In a few days she and Sakura lived in Mato's mansion, after Sakura decided to not impose on Shiro anymore and Ranma stayed with the girl to *protect her in case Shinji returns*, it became clear that no matter how much Sakura tried to treat both of her forms equally, she had a much stronger emotional attachment to her *big sister* than *brother*.

And maybe because of the spiritual bond they shared or just because Ranma felt that her cursed form was one of the very few things that brought Sakura happiness she undoubtedly deserved, but she didn't mind being the Sakura's *big sister * when they were doing something together.

-

"So, what's so big about today?" asked Rider as dismissed her combat outfit, she always slept in, and her favorite black silks appeared.

"Called Toko Aozaki. She said that your glasses are ready. And if we do not hurry up, we'll miss our train to Tokyo."

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Well, let's not make her wait." said Rider as she remembered that before Ilya briefly left home, she gave them a phone number of a mage that could use True Magic and was able to deal with her curse. Asking for something that could replace her blindfold was an afterthought, but brought a lot of fun to Sakura while the plum haired girl decided how her sister's glasses should look.

-

As they walked to the kitchen, Rider decided to get good-humored revenge on the girl for waking her up like that and asked teasingly.

"So, who do you want to come to the archery championship, next week, to cheer for you? A handsome young man or your sister?" and smiled when the girl's cheeks became crimson colored.

-

"Come Rider, we must leave now, or we'll miss the train!" said Sakura when she looked at the clock as they ate.

"Oh, but I'm not finished yet. We can always catch the next one." said Ranma as she looked at her half-empty plate.

"No, Sempai said that he will be on that train!" answered the girl and pulled the older one, who was looking longingly at the remaining food, outside.

-

"Hi ya, Shiro." said Rider when they met Shiro, Rin and Saber near the train.

"Good day." greeted them Shiro, followed by greetings from Saber and Rin.

-

"So, why are you going to Tokyo, Sempai?" asked Sakura as the train carried them to their destination.

Shiro put his hand around Saber, who was sitting near him, and answered.

"Rin is going to London to study magic arts and I want to show Saber how her country developed over several centuries."

"And what is the purpose of your visit to Tokyo, Rider?" asked Saber, slightly blushing from Shiro's open demonstration of his feelings towards her.

The purple haired Servant looked away from the window she was looking in and answered.

"We're going to pick up my glasses from Toko Aozaki because Sakura thinks that I look a bit weird with my blindfold on."

"Toko Aozaki? One of the five mages that can use True magic? Ilya sure knows a lot of people." said Rin thinking that returning to Japan with Shiro and Saber might be a good idea, if only to look at item created by one of the famous magician sisters.

-

"Take care Sempai, Saber and you Rin." said Sakura when they arrived to Tokyo and their ways parted.

"Don't worry. We'll be back in time for your tournament." answered Shiro as he entered the taxi that would drive to the airport, after the girls.

-

An hour later, after receiving very detailed description of how to reach their destination, Rider and Sakura entered an abandoned building that held the office where Toko worked. As they walked in, they saw a young redheaded woman at the desk near the window that was busy sorting out some documents. Near one of the walls, a young girl, with short black hair and dressed in a blue kimono with a sheathed katana in her hand, was standing with an unreadable expression.

-

"Excuse us, but are you Toko Aozaki?" asked Sakura. "We are here for the glasses she promised to make for us."

The redheaded woman stopped searching for something in the files on her desk and turned to them.

"Yes, I am. One moment please."

Toko walked around the desk and took out a pair of glasses from it.

"Here. They are enchanted not to fall off, so you don't have to be scared about accidentally releasing your power. But they can be easily removed if you'll wish to."

"Thanks. And what about my curse?" asked Ranma as she took the glasses and tried to see anything magical about them before she closed her eyes and put them on after her blindfold disappeared.

"I need few days for more then a theory of what happened to you in China. But I already found something that might interest you." said Toko as she took one of the files from her desk and gave Rider several documents from it.

"Hmm, Ranma Saotome, father Genma Saotome, mother Nodoka…. She's alive?! That damned bastard!" Rider fumed, looking at her father's photo with a smoldering glare, as she thought about how she should punish her father for not telling her anything about her mother all those years.

Seeing that her sister wasn't in the mood to read any further, Sakura took the documents from Rider and started to read.

"That's strange. There are two Ranma Saotomes here and both are sons of Saotome Genma."

"Wha…?" the news about a possible brother, or most likely another scheme from her father, shook Rider out of her anger-driven dream about using Genma as a training dummy and she snatched the documents back.

"Lives in Nerima ward, has a fiancée?! Location unknown, married?! They don't even look like me! That fat loaf probably just adopted or bribed these guys to take my place!"

Toko looked at angry woman for several seconds with a thoughtful look and said, while she pulled out a cigarette from pack that she took from the desk and lit it.

"As I said I have a theory. According to archives of the Mages Association, several hundred years ago, a magical creature that looked just like you was summoned near Jusenkyo valley.

When you were summoned as a Servant, you, probably, first appeared there and due to the nature of Jusenkyo and magical experiments that place was used for, you were mixed with, or just received form and memories of a nearest human. And they might've been strong enough to suppress your own."

"So, you are saying that I'm just a copy of one of those guys? Hell no, I think your first guess was better."

"That's all then. Call me in a few days. I might be able to help then."

"Thank you very much." Sakura bowed to the redheaded mage and walked out, pulling her sister, that was grumbling about getting to the bottom of this, with her.

-

"An interesting pair, don't you think?" asked Toko when their guests left and she turned to the katana wielding girl.

"Yes, I hate them already."

Toko raised an eyebrow and asked in manner as if she already knew the answer but asked anyway.

"Why, Shiki?"

Shiki put away her katana and stepped away from the wall before she answered.

"We're kindred spirits. They might not show it, but once, they relished in killing humans."

"A vessel for darkness and a monster from legends, they do match each other well." faintly smiled Toko, before she returned to her work.

-

"Sakura, I'm sorry, but can we go sightseeing Tokyo after I get this mess with imposters and my mother out of our way?" said Rider as they walked through the streets towards Nerima ward.

"Yes, of course. Family is very important and I'm happy your mother is alive, sister." answered the plum haired girl and held Rider's hand tighter as if reminding herself about the only family she had now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

-

Several hours later, Rider and Sakura, hungry and tired, decided to take a break from walking and walked in one of the many cafes in Nerima district.

-

"So, who do you want to see first?" asked Sakura after they finished ordering and waitress left.

"I'll deal with my father and those guys first. Don't want them to spoil my meeting with mother." answered Ranma and touched her glasses again, still afraid that they might fall off despite that even her jumps couldn't shift their position one bit.

"Why would they do that? Your father can't be that bad if you grew up such a good person."

"Heh. You don't know my father." Ranma looked around, hoping that their food was already arriving, but was disappointed. She turned back to Sakura and started to explain to the girl what life she lived before she was summoned.

"At the age of four he took me on the training trip. At age of six he tried to teach me Neko-ken by wrapping sausages around my body and repeatedly throwing into a pit that was full of hungry cats. Then… Hey, calm down."

Rider interrupted her monologue when she saw a transparent dark cloud appearing around Sakura and felt her hate towards her father.

"With memories I got recently, Neko-ken is easy to deal with, so it's harmless now. I can even say cat without stammering." Ranma finished telling the news that sounded great for her, but shadow around Sakura's body only deepened and it almost hid her eyes now.

"How could he do this to you?"

"Well, he's an idiot and I didn't know anything better until now. And he's my father after all." answered Rider, thinking how she could calm Sakura, both from feeling slightly uncomfortable that she was protected instead of protector and wanting to shield Sakura away from her troubles, since the girl had more then enough of her own and now deserved as carefree living as Rider could manage. But miraculously, she didn't have to say anything because she felt Sakura's anger suddenly removed by a surge of remorse that sharply contrasted with the girl's smile.

-

'That's right… He is her father. And if she accepted even me then I don't have any right to hate him because I'm a much worse person.

The dark cloud around Sakura slowly dissolved and continuing to smile lightly, she asked.

"Do you remember what Ilya said about why you were the one summoned by me?"

Rider looked around searching if food was arriving yet and answered.

"Yeah. She said that if Master doesn't use an item that could belong to the hero they want to summon, then Grail will give him a Servant that would fit him the most."

"Maybe you change because that boy at Jusenkyo and you lived a harsh life and Grail mixed you two up on when you were summoned. Just like me and you."

"Heh, but that was until we met. I won't allow anything bad happen to you now, Sakura."

-

Several minutes passed in silence that was broken by a happy yell when Rider saw several waiters carry trays full of food to them.

-

While they ate, an interesting thought occurred to Ranma. She put another empty dish on top the pile that was gathering near her and asked, while she fiddled with her almost floor length purple hair that made many women on the streets sigh with envy.

"You know, I was wondering. What exactly happened at Jusenkyo? Am I me and this body is nothing but a curse or am I really in her body? The memories are so real they would be almost scary if they weren't so familiar."

"I don't really know. Toko said that you might as be both Rider and him. Or even Medusa who thinks that she's Ranma until your memories reassert themselves and become dominant or equal to his." answered Sakura, nibbling on her food that she still tried to eat only because she felt her sister's never wavering energetic mood.

Ranma sighed as she took another dish but paused, before she started to eat, to say with a small dejected sigh.

"Yeah, I suppose you might be right. But wouldn't that mean that my memories, hell even my personality is a lie?"

"Of course not, sister! You are you, and I love you that way. You don't have to reject something because it might not fit into some pattern. I know it very well!" heatedly protested Sakura as she heard her Servant's words.

Rider looked at her younger sister with amusement mixed with warmth and something that Sakura could call love.

'It's good to be able to her eyes now. They are so unusual.'

"Heh, if my Pops could hear your words. You know what he always told me? To be a man amongst men."

-

They talked until they ran out of food, then continued over an ice-cream and finally in the nearby park where they went to watch the sundown.

-

"It's so peaceful here." said Sakura as she watched the sun set the skies on fire as it came down to the horizon.

Rider shifted her position, taking care not to distract the girl, she as usual cradled in her arms, from the view they got when Ranma jumped on top of one of the buildings.

"Yeah, after that crazy week, a quiet evening is a bit weird."

The girl in her arms turned around to look at her sister. She saw her purple hair that fluttered in the wind and her smile and smiled herself.

"Where are going to spend the night?"

"Eh, I think the hotel we standing on is good enough." answered her Servant and began descending to the street, so they could get a room without confusing anyone.

-

Once inside a room with two beds, Rider once again steadfastly refused to wear a nightwear that Sakura suggested. Summoning her combat outfit, she watched for almost a minute as Sakura changed before she caught herself and turned around, slightly blushing.

Soon they were asleep and as Rider hoped her dreams weren't about Ancient Greece.

-

Ranma slowly, almost lazily, woke up and just laid with closed eyes, bathing in warmth from sunlight and feelings she got from Sakura through their link.

Soon she heard the girl snicker and decided that she rested enough. When she got out of her bed and opened her eyes, she felt deathly cold dread because she discovered that her glasses weren't on.

'Of course they are not on! I replaced them with my blindfold before going to bed. Idiot.' thought Rider relaxing and looked at Sakura who was setting up the table using food she probably bought in one of the nearby restaurants.

-

"Good morning, sister. Did you sleep well?" asked the girl as she finished preparing breakfast.

"Yeah, but why didn't woke me up? Those bags look heavy and I would've been glad to help." asked Rider after she put her glasses on and walked to the table.

"I would never interrupt your sleep for such a small thing."

-

Meanwhile, in one of the many dojos of Nerima district that wasn't far away from the hotel where Rider and her sister ate their breakfast, a heavyset man dressed into a worn white gi, and holding a bucket of water, sneaked towards the boy that slept in the guest room.

"Wake up, you lazy boy!" shouted the man and grabbed his arm before he threw him out of the window.

-

As the boy flew through the early morning air, his eyes snapped open and he saw the pool rapidly approach, he understood what was about to happen to him. His body tried to move to ensure a safe fall, but instead he spent that time to yell in anger and some measure of despair as if trying to defy what was about to happen.

"Ranma, this is all your fau… glrt." Ryoga's words were muffled when he shot through the surface of the pond and sank to the bottom. Almost immediately he felt slight tingling that signaled the change and the start of the part he hated the most.

-

'I hate you Ranma!' thought the small girl with long blue hair as she looked around with her crimson colored eyes and once again saw herself on the cliff above Jusenkyo.

'This is hell!' she sighed and started cursing, it was only way to express what she thought about her situation, because in this form her emotions were almost like they were frozen still and she always felt hatefully calm. She straightened her black dress and began descending to the springs. She knew the way perfectly, because every time she changed she appeared in the same dream that only ended when she came to the springs and saw the accident that happened to her at Jusenkyo.

-

When she jumped over a boulder, she felt a barely resistible urge to turn into a cat and the girl gritted her teeth as she concentrated her will to remain human. She succeeded, but that distraction cost her dearly, she immediately got lost.

-

Unknown to the girl who laid in the pond for several seconds already, the water's surface started to freeze and one of neighborhood girls who still slept in this early hour and saw a dream about an endless plain filled with her favourite flowers, discovered that she had a guest in her dream.

-

'I hate you Ranma.' chanted the black-clad girl as she found herself in a flower covered plain.

Dejectedly sighing, she started to walk forward while her mind was busy trying to gather enough ki to break away from this place, something she discovered after spending almost a week in the dream world.

-

Soon she had enough and gathering her in her hands, she shot a pale blue orb at the ground under her feet, shattering wherever she was and returning to Jusenkyo.

-

The rest of her descent went peacefully and soon she saw a man walking out of the valley of cursed springs, an event that signaled that she was out of the danger of getting lost again.

-

"Where that stupid boy went to?" growled Genma as he walked away from the training ground fuming that his plans that he carefully laid out ten years ago were now ruined.

"How dared he knock me out with a cheap trick and disappear!? Only a few more weeks and he would've been married to one of the Tendos, ensuring that I wouldn't need to work for the rest of my life. But now Nodoka will have my head for losing the boy."

Suddenly Genma noticed a boy dressed in traveler's clothes with a huge backpack that walked up the road on the Jusenkyo cliff with a martial artist's ease and a plan how to save his life once again, formed.

'I get this boy to replace Ranma. Undoubtedly he would want to study under me strongly enough to no notice a Jusenkyo curse. And with it even Nodoka won't say that he's not her child.'

Deciding on what he must do, Genma enveloped himself in the Umisenken veil and disappeared.

-

Seeing Genma disappear, the crimson eyed girl sighed again and continued to walk to the springs, knowing that the end of this nightmare was close.

-

"Ahh!" came the loud cry as the boy she saw earlier fell from the cliff and rose a tall pillar of water as he crashed through the surface of one of the pools, miraculously avoiding impaling himself on a bamboo pole that protruded from the water.

-

"Are you all right Mr. Customer? You are lucky that the spring is no longer cursed." said the Guide when he saw the boy climb out of the water, thankfully unchanged.

"Why didn't he get cursed?" asked Genma as he appeared out of nowhere and frowning looked at the boy.

"Spring is uncursed. Just water inside."

'I can accidentally curse him later. Now I need to get the boy on my side.' Thought Genma and walked to the boy, who was still spitting out the water.

"What is your name, boy?"

"Ryoga."

"I have an offer for you. I see you know martial arts, how would you like to study under one of the best there is, Saotome Genma?" asked gi-clad man, taking a pose appropriate for such a proclamation.

-

Ryoga slowly rose to his feet and asked barely hiding his emotions, a mix of surprise and anger.

"Saotome? You are father to Saotome Ranma? Where is he?"

Genma took his best 'Father almost dead from grief and suffering' pose and answered.

"That ungrateful boy betrayed everything I taught him and using a cheap trick he abandoned his poor father who gave everything he had and unimaginably suffered to raise him."

"Damn! I almost found you Ranma and you ran away again!" yelled Ryoga, clenching his fists.

"So how about my offer, boy? You won't be able to defeat him unless you train under me. And since Anything Goes is a family school you'll have to pretend being my son."

-

The crimson eyed girl finally came close enough to recognize the scene and if she wasn't gleefully awaiting the end of the nightmare she would've noticed as a girl, that looked exactly as she did now, came closer to the boy and the blue light that gathered around her before she, literally, stepped into Ryoga's body.

-

Ryoga heard what Genma said but didn't answer because the water on his body suddenly glowed and his form slowly morphed into the form he would soon hate with a passion because he would return to Jusenkyo in his dreams almost every time he was splashed with cold water.

-

Back in Tendo household, Ryoga broke through the thin ice that covered the pool and shivering, walked to the house to get some hot water.

"You lazy boy! Stop napping in the water all the time, it's unfit for martial artist!" yelled Genma as he jumped out of the window and bouncing off the ground, he flew towards the small girl.

Feeling herself frozen to the core in more ways than one, the girl once again kept her silence and instead concentrated her ki. A heavy mist coalesced under her palm and when Genma was about to strike, she ducked and a spike of ice smashed into the man, throwing him into the wall.

"Oh, my. Would you like some hot water, Ranma?" asked the eldest Tendo daughter when she heard the noise and walked out with a kettle in hand.

-

-

A\N: A brief description for character from Tsukihime that Ryoga turns into. (Third story in the same universe as other two) Maybe some day I'll figure out how to put this piece in the story, but for now it'll be here.

Ren is a magical being created by an old mage from remains of his cat to serve as his familiar (a mage's servant). She has the power to manipulate one's dreams or enter them, can use ice as a weapon and can turn into a cat whenever she wants. She prefers not to talk.

When the mage who created her was about to die, she was left in care of vampire princess, Arcuied, who, unfortunately couldn't supply her with Mana she needed to live, but Ren managed to live over 800 years without draining anyone because she's as powerful as mage himself was.

-

So, the idea is that Ren who was travelling with Arcuied, found Ryoga and since he has a lot of energy, decided to drain some from him. Unfortunately for Ryoga when Ren *possessed* him, the uncursed water of Jusenkyo that remained on him became cursed and turned him into her. The curse will stay as long as she is inside of his body.

Ren, being very reserved and unimposing person she is, decided to give Ryoga a chance to get rid of her and every time he's splashed with cold water, she brings him into the dream world. If he meets her there, then she'll leave but Ryoga keeps getting lost in other people dreams he enters by subconsciously using Ren's powers and so far he never even noticed her.


	3. Chapter 3 part 1

Chapter 3

Part 1 : The Amazons.

-

-

Deep into the mainland China, not far away from the cursed pools that haunted Ryoga's dreams, lay a village, surrounded by farmlands. There lived Amazons, a tribe of exceptionally strong fighters, that, in order to keep their traditions, chose to isolate themselves from the rest of the world.

-

"The Great Spirit returned!" The cry resounded through the village streets as a young girl dressed in light leather armor run to the Elder's house.

Elder Cologne, the leader of amazons, was busy with paperwork when the door to her room opened and a young warrior stormed in, panting for breath.

"Elder! The Great Spirit… Its pool… The watcher said it was released…"

The pen fell from Cologne's hands and even though it was immediately caught, this better than anything showed the shock she was in.

"Child, call Lore master now."

The warrior quickly bowed and ran away, leaving the door open.

Cologne looked at the paperwork and moved everything aside, as there was no time for duties of an Elder.

'Why did it have to happen in this century? Neither me, or my heir are ready.'

-

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on the door and saw a young, black haired woman with red eyes, eyes that…. Cologne shook off unneeded thoughts and slightly bowed as she said.

"Lore master, the Great Spirit has appeared. I will go to the pools to investigate and ask you to join me."

" Appeared? Really?" asked her guest and her happy, almost delighted, smile seemed to brighten the old room.

"We will have to check the..."

"Grand-grandmother!" A loud shout came from outside, accompanied by a rapidly approaching sound of running feet.

"We will meet at the gates." said Cologne, feeling relieved that she could end this conversation.

A second after the Lore master left the room, another warrior rushed in, her purple mane fluttering behind her.

"Shampoo, I told you that you should behave like a warrior, especially when you earned the title of Champion."

The girl, her cheeks flushed with excitement, deeply bowed and said.

"I'm sorry, but I really want to see the person Niu…" Shampoo felt the Elder's glance and corrected herself. "Lore-master told us so much about."

"Then you will go with me to the pools. Wait for me at the gates, I need to prepare myself."

-

Several hours later, the amazons reached the cursed pools of Jusenkyo and the guide went to meet them.

"Good Day, honorable Amazon warriors. How can I help you?"

"We heard that someone was cursed by the pool that, as you thought, was uncursed."

The guide furrowed his brow as he tried to remember what pool they were talking about and a minute later, he answered.

"Ah, yes. Two weeks ago a boy into a pool that never worked and cursed a boy. He turned into a Western looking woman... "

"Was her hair long and purple in color?" Lore-master interrupted the guide, her eyes shining with rare determination and hope.

"Yes. How did you know, honorable customer?" asked the guide, but was interrupted with another question.

"Where did she go? Tell me!"

"I'm so sorry, but I don't know. That person disappeared even before I bring some hot water."

"Disappeared? What do you mean disappeared?!" exclaimed the black haired woman, barely resisting the urge to shake him until he tells them everything he knows. That intent must've became visible on her face, because he stepped back and started to describe what happened earlier, even using gestures for better demonstration.

"Two weeks ago two customers came and started to fight on the poles. Then the boy fell and his father jumped away from the pools. I said that the spring was uncursed and waited for the boy. Then she jumped out of the pool, used her chain to defeat the man," The guide stopped to inhale more air and continued

"She yelled at me when I said about the curse and suddenly vanished in the thin air. I've never seen anything like this. Then another boy fell into the same spring and turned into a small blue haired girl and the man told her that she'll be her student if she agrees to go to Tokyo. I tried to throw a mouse in that pool, but it no longer works again."

"Tokyo? Do you know this place, Elder?" asked the Lore-master as she looked in the direction that the guide pointed in.

"Yes, I do…" Cologne paused before continuing, as if she was gathering strength.

"But are you sure you want to meet the Great Spirit? What if she sees you as a danger to gods?"

Niu turned to her and a bright smile loosened up her determined expression.

"I'll take the risk. She's one of the few things that connect me to my father and I want to more about her. And…" Her red darkened to blood red as she finished. "She's the only who knows how my father died. I will gather my travel pack and leave as soon as you show me the way, Cologne." With these words spoken, she turned and went to the village, followed by the Elder's eyes.

-

A minute later, Shampoo broke the silence.

"What will you do Grand-grandmother?"

"I will follow her, of course. I won't let someone I know since birth go on a dangerous journey alone."

"But you know most of village from their birth." said the girl and, suddenly, was hit by a staff.

"I meant my birth. And don't be so quick to remind others about their age." Cologne looked as her grandchild scratched her head with confused expression and sighed.

"You've been neglecting you studies too much. Listen, centuries ago, our village was visited by a wise man that wanted to achieve what is beyond realm of mortals and to gain trust from amazons he blessed our ancestor with a gift to use Ki for magic. We have no knowledge of what he did as he sent everyone away, but our ancestor saw a rider on a winged horse take off from the ritual ground and went to search for the wise man. There she found only one of his servants, our Niu."

When the story finished, Shampoo looked thunderstruck and couldn't say anything as she tried to merge images of ever-kind Niu that was so fun to be with and of someone who knew Cologne's grandmother when she was as young as Shampoo herself.

Finally, when a sudden idea jolted her out of shock, she managed to speak.

"I will go with you, Grand-grandmother."

"Why? It was barely two weeks since you became the Champion, don't you want to boast to your friends more? " asked Cologne, suspecting that a gleeful note she caught in her grandchild's voice meant that she was hiding something.

Shampoo's response was quick and completely unexpected.

"The guide said that the second spirit appeared from the pool. I'll take her to village and became as famous as our ancestor!"

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A\N: After a year and a half of silence, finally, a small update to remind anyone who cares that this story is not dead.


End file.
